KARACHI: A book titled Sindhis in Global Context — Past, Present, Future and Origins by Dr Maqbool A Halepota was launched at the Arts Council on Tuesday evening.

Addressing the audience, the author, who lives in the United States, said: “We need to look into the debate who is a Sindhi. I will stand my ground that it was G.M. Syed who gave identity to the Sindhi nation. I’m open to debate on the subject. You have to give credit where it’s due.”

Focusing on G.M. Syed thoughts, he said: “Anybody who lives in Sindh, who was born in Sindh and has love for Sindh in their heart, to my mind, is a Sindhi. It is not just for those who speak Sindhi, it is for all of those who call Sindh their home. Our survival is common. If anybody believes that rural Sindh is going to starve and urban Sindh is going to thrive, they need to have a reality check. If rural Sindh starves, the whole of it will starve… This is an SOS call for the world.”

“We should give this book to senators and congressmen. We are already doing it. The foreword of the book is written by a Democratic congressman and the last word by a Republican. We are going to convey our message, our problems and look for solutions,” he said.

Sindhis in Global Context launched

He said it took him 12 years to pen the book on the insistence of a friend, Sufi Munawar Laghari. He thanked quite a few people for contributing to the publication, especially his wife who ‘put up’ with him during the period.

Speaking at the event, which was moderated by Prof Aijaz Qureshi, Zulfiqar Halepota said the book has 445 pages and comprises eight main chapters, divided into further sections. It covers pre-Mohanjo-Daro era to the chapter highlighting the future of Sindh. The printing of the book is of international quality and also contains the diaspora point of view. “History writing is dominated by writers from CP or UP and there’s few writings from the standpoint of Sindh, and none from the standpoint of Punjab,” he said, calling the book a global notebook.

Shazia Nizamani said the publication has pleasantly surprised her. Not only the author has talked about the ancient history of Sindh but also shed light on its future. She read an excerpt from the book as well and pointed out lines where the author has emphasised Sindhis need to be global citizens and rise above divisions.

Dr Abdul Raheem Soomro said the book is extraordinary.

Naseer Memon praised the book and spoke about the need for course correction and strong narratives coming out of universities.

Dr Ayoub Shaikh, in his speech, mentioned the toughness that’s required on the part of a historian and argued that everybody should be held accountable in a book.

Masood Noorani said the book was precious and also spoke about having an all-encompassing approach with other groups in society.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2025